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Sunday, May 8, 2016

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 758, Shiggy, Protagonist’s Telic Flaw

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher
has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy. I'll keep you
informed. More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com. Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy
them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.
This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in
installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in
addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel
was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and
tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this
blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example
of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll
keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my
writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production
schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I
employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the
writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage
of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1. The initial scene (the
beginning)

2. The rising action

3. The climax

4. The falling action

5. The dénouement

The theme statement
of my 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed
title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si,
is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry
and rehabilitates her.

I
just started writing my 27th novel, working title, Claire, potential
title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.This might need some tweaking.The theme statement is: Claire (Sorcha) Davis
accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization
and rehabilitates her.

Here is the cover proposal for Essie:
Enchantment and the Aos Si. Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover
Proposal

The most important scene in any
novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising
action. I’m editing many of my novels using comments from my primary
reader.I finished my 27th
novel, working title Claire.I’m working on marketing materials.

I'm
an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising
action--in fact, to write any novel.

Scene development:

1. Scene input (easy)

2. Scene output (a little
harder)

3. Scene setting (basic stuff)

4. Creativity (creative
elements of the scene)

5. Tension (development of
creative elements to build excitement)

6. Release (climax of creative
elements)

How to begin a novel.Number one thought, we need an entertaining
idea.I usually encapsulate such an idea
with a theme statement.Here’s the theme
statement from Sorcha.

Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts
Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and
rehabilitates her.

If you really understand novel
writing, you will connect the protagonist’s telic flaw to their character.What I mean by this, is a telic flaw can be
internal or external.An external telic
flaw, is this: David wants to join the football team.A novel about this telic flaw would have David
join the football team (comedy) or fail to join the football team (tragedy).A similar internal telic flaw is this: David
is lazy and weak, and his lack of determination prevents him from joining the
football team.Usually, except for
children, youth, and young adult novels, the world and the telic flaws are not
as external and simple as the external telic flaw example.In adult novels, an external telic flaw is
almost always connected to the personality and internal character of the
protagonist. Many times, even in adult
novels, the protagonist doesn’t have an internal telic flaw.

Here’s how you can tell.If the protagonist must make a change in
their thinking as well as their life to achieve the climax, that is an internal
telic flaw.Otherwise it is
external.In many cases, the protagonist
has both an internal and an external telic flaw.The internal change results in an external
change.Then comes the climax.

Every protagonist must have a telic
flaw.Shiggy’s telic flaw is her judgement,
lack of willingness to take responsibility, and her lack of status in the
military intelligence system.Two of
those are internal and the third is external.I’ve mentioned it before, I’ll say it again—the telic flaw of the
protagonist is what leads to the climax and the resolution of the novel.

Look at the theme statement
above.The action statement is that
Sorcha rehabilitates Shiggy.The means
is not specified, but Sorcha does accept Shiggy into her branch of the organization.That is listed.At this point, the how doesn’t matter.What matters is the basic telic flaw and the
character of Shiggy.Let’s look at the
overall setting.

About Me

L. D. Alford is a novelist whose writing explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. His writing distinctively develops the connections between present events and history—he combines them with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he is widely traveled and earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Dayton, and is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the USAF Test Pilot School. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality. He is the author of three historical fiction novels: Centurion, Aegypt, and The Second Mission, and three science fiction novels: The End of Honor, The Fox’s Honor, and A Season of Honor.